Travel guide’s list of ‘no-go’ places to avoid – UK spot littered with ‘trash’

A travel guide has released a list of “no-go” places tourists should think twice about booking next year – and a UK destination has made the cut.

Scotland’s popular North Coast 500 road trip has been included in the 2025 Fodor’s Travel ‘Go and No Lists’ as a destination to reconsider visiting.

The scenic 516-mile route, which showcases the region’s stunning castles and coastal views through Wester Ross, Sutherland, Caithness, Easter Ross, the Black Isle and Inverness-shire, is the only UK location to feature on the list.

The guide, which includes global destinations such as Tokyo, Bali, and Koh Samui in Thailand, suggests that the NC500’s recent surge in popularity has become a “nuisance to the communities” and poses a threat to the environment due to a lack of campsites, toilets and places to dump chemical waste along the route. Roads are also “congested with traffic”.

Despite Scotland’s right to roam policy allowing access to most land, wild camping along the NC500 has become problematic, with people setting up camp on beaches, lay-bys and even private property.

Locals have reported issues including “campfire scorch marks, trash, disposable grills, and even human faeces”.

The travel guide was compiled based on “highly coveted tourist spots [that] are collapsing under the burden of their own prominence”, with overtourism being one of the main factors.

Fodor’s has sounded the alarm on over-tourism, citing Scotland’s striking North Coast 500 (NC500) as an example of a picturesque road trip route overwhelmed by its popularity.

“What happens when a road trip route becomes too popular, threatening the natural environment and becoming a nuisance to the communities living alongside it? ” asked Fodor’s.

“Camping in tents or motorhomes is one of the most popular ways for tourists to experience the NC500, but a shortfall of adequate facilities including campsites, toilets, and designated chemical waste areas is causing issues along the route.”

The travel guide further highlighted the problems locals face, revealing that “‘Wild camping’ on beaches, in laybys, and even on private property is common, and residents report finding campfire scorch marks, trash, disposable grills, and even human faeces in their wake.”

Fodor’s ‘no-go’ list also sheds light on other global spots besieged by tourism pitfalls. Bali, known for its idyllic scenery, faces a “plastic apocalypse” of litter, while Sicily’s Agrigento battles with a severe water shortage aggravated by surging visitor numbers.

In Mexico’s Oaxaca, concerns have been raised about cultural commodification due to excessive tourism numbers.

Even Japan isn’t spared, with Tokyo and Kyoto so crowded that main tourist sites are difficult to navigate comfortably, not to mention the spike in living costs for locals associated with such high demand.

Fodor’s has unveiled a list of 25 mesmerising, lesser-known destinations for travellers to consider, including Merida in Mexico, the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, Houston, South Dakota’s Badlands National Park, and Los Olivos, California.

• Mount Everest

• Bali, Indonesia

• European cities: Barcelona, Lisbon, Mallorca, Venice, and the Canary Islands

• Koh Samui, Thailand

• Kerala, India

• Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan

• Oaxaca, Mexico

• Scotland North Coast 500

Find out more about Fodor’s No List 2025 here.